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Posts Tagged ‘Myanmar’

More than one million Rohingya face dramatic overcrowding in Bangladesh refugees camps, or are internally displaced

Prompted by the scope and speed of Rohingya refugee crisis, UNHCR declared a “Level 3 Emergency” – the highest level – in mid-September.

Excerpts from reports published by

Save the Children

UNOCHA

UNHCR

More than half a million Rohingya fleeing horrific violence and bloodshed in Myanmar have arrived in Bangladesh over the past six weeks.

According to latest estimates some 515,000 refugees have fled from Myanmar since 25 August, including people continuing to arrive this week. The emergency assistance is focused on refugee protection, shelter, water and sanitation and bolstering the capacity of the local host communities across south-east Bangladesh. Relieving dramatic overcrowding in the two existing camps – Kutupalong and Nyapara – which are now twice their population prior to the latest crisis – is also a priority, not least as refugee numbers are still growing.

Among the refugees are large numbers of children, many of them unaccompanied or separated from their families. More than half the new arrivals are women, including mothers with small children or infants. There are also many older people and people with disabilities. Illness, injuries and trauma as a result of extreme violence, torture and sexual abuse exacerbate the hardships. Many have lost family, relatives and friends. The new arrivals have joined an estimated 300,000 refugees who were already in Bangladesh before the crisis.

Internally Displaced People

Additionally, there are 121,000 internally displaced people in Rakhine State and 98,000 others in Kachin and Shan States.

An estimated 281,000 newly arrived Rohingya are in need of urgent nutrition support to prevent or treat malnutrition, according to new data from the Inter-Sector Coordination Group, including 145,000 children under the age of five and more than 50,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women.

At least 14,000 newly arrived Rohingya children under five are already believed to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Myanmar is pursuing the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority from its territory, a senior UN official has told reporters.

John McKissick, a representative of the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said Burmese troops have been “killing men, shooting them, slaughtering children, raping women, burning and looting houses, forcing these people to cross the river” into neighboring Bangladesh.

“The Rohingya are being squeezed by the callous actions of both the Myanmar and Bangladesh authorities. Fleeing collective punishment in Myanmar, they are being pushed back by the Bangladeshi authorities. Trapped between these cruel fates, their desperate need for food, water and medical care is not being addressed,” said Amnesty International’s South Asia Director.

The Bangladeshi authorities have cracked down on the flow of Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar. Over the past week, the Bangladesh Border Guards have detained and forcibly returned hundreds.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – April 25, 2016

An estimated 3.5 million people have been affected by climatic events, including El Niño, across the Philippines, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

As of April 20, DSWD released US$14.8 million for food assistance and cash-for-work programs, officials said.

Japan

Following the two powerful earthquakes that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on April 14 and 16, an estimated 60,000 people remain in more than 600 evacuation shelters. “The Government has secured apartment units for 8,350 households as temporary accommodation,” said UNOCHA.

The official toll stands at 48 fatalities and more than 1,400 injuries.

Timor Leste

An estimated 120,000 people are in need of water, food sanitation, health, and education support across five municipalities of Lautém, Viqueque, Baucau, Covalima and Oecusse, which have been severely impacted by El Niño-induced drought, said UNOCHA.

Myanmar

High winds, hail and torrential rains have buffeted more than 40 townships across Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Shan, Kachin and Chin states in Myanmar. Destroying or damaging thousands of houses damaged. “As of 25 April, authorities confirmed 14 deaths and 18 people injured due to the severe weather conditions – these figures are expected to change as more information becomes available. In Kachin, strong winds destroyed internally displaced persons (IDP) shelter and camp structures.” [UNOCHA]

“On 16 and 19 April, fighting reportedly broke out between the military and an armed group identified as part of the Arakan Army in Kyautaw and Rathedaung townships, Rakhine State. Village authorities confirmed that about 80 households (380 people) were displaced. Local authorities and the military provided rice and basic health care services to the displaced people.”

Up to 200 dead or missing in massive landslide near jade mine in N. Myanmar

A landslide near a jade mine in northern Myanmar has killed about 100 people and left more than 100 others missing, according to reports.

The incident occurred in Kachin state, home to the most valuable jade mines in the world.

Most of the victims were poor villagers sifting through mountains of waste rubble, “dumped by mechanical diggers used by the mining firms in the area to extract Myanmar’s most valuable precious stone,” according to AFP.

“The area has been turned into a moonscape of environmental destruction as huge diggers gouge the earth looking for jade.”

Landslides occur regularly in the area and many have been killed so far this year as people living off the industry’s waste, in the hope of finding a piece of jade worth thousands of dollars, search through mountains of rubble at night, said the report.

Additionally, itinerant miners are attracted from all parts of the country “by the promise of riches and become easy prey for drug addiction in Hpakant, where heroin and methamphetamine are cheaply available on the streets,” reported AFP.

“Jade is Myanmar government’s big state secret”

The jade trade, “controlled by the military elites,” raked in about “US$31 billion in 2014 alone,” more than 10 times the official declaration. “That is equivalent to nearly half the GDP of the whole country, which badly needs it. But hardly any of the money is reaching ordinary people or state coffers, said a report.

Heavy storms, floods and landslides have destroyed thousands of homes, affecting 1.6 million people and flooding more than 1.4 million acres of farmland, WFO reported.

The disasters have also destroyed 972,000 acres of standing crops, especially paddy rice, 36,000 acres of fish and shrimp ponds, and more than 20,000 heads of cattle.

“Severe damage to roads, bridges and railways is making these ongoing relief and recovery efforts extra challenging,” said the report.

“Compounding an existing crisis: Out of the six provinces hit hardest by the monsoonal floods, four have been the stage of recurrent intercommunal tensions since June 2012 that have displaced more than 660 000 people, making those regions especially vulnerable to the impacts of the floods.”

Weeks of monsoon rains and strong winds together with Cyclone Komen have triggered massive flooding and mudslides across 12 of Myanmar 14 states and regions.

As of August 8, 2015 [OCHA]

More than 61,000 households are displaced/evacuated in the Ayeyarwady delta region and in Bago due to floods.

Floods have severely damaged the rice harvest in Rakhine and contaminated water wells by salt water.

An estimated 4.4 million people live in flood affected areas.

With over 2,400 schools shut, at least 250,000 children can’t continue learning

Save the Children: “Crops and seeds have been destroyed in the floods and that means that food will be in short supply over the coming weeks leading to fears that more children will be undernourished. As it stands, Myanmar is already one of the 24 high-burden countries with the largest number of stunted children. One-in-three children are stunted, and the food insecurity with these floods could exacerbate the situation.”

At least 100,000 children don’t have sufficient food and access to clean drinking water because of ruined crops and contaminated water wells in flood-affected Myanmar, Save the Children has warned.

More than 250,000 children are unable to attend school, with more than 2,400 schools closed due to flooding.

Crisis in Myanmar

One million Rohingya in Myanmar and up to 500,000 Rohingya in Bangladesh are facing protracted crisis and dire living conditions, with restrictions on basic freedoms, access to healthcare and food assistance. [ACAPS]

Extreme Rain Events, flooding and landslides kill hundreds, affect more than 8 million others across India

The worst affected areas are the eastern state of West Bengal, neighboring Odisha, as well as the western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and the northeastern state of Manipur, officials have said.

Cyclone KOMEN, tracking across the Bay of Bengal, has brought heavy rains to the states of West Bengal and Odisha, submerging hundreds of villages and leaving more than 150,000 people homeless, according to local reports.

Mayhem in Myanmar

Meanwhile, heavy monsoon rains have left scores of people dead and affected up to a third of a million others across 12 of Myanmar’s 14 states and regions.

“About 850,600 acres (344,493 hectares) of farmlands were submerged, of which Rakhine state suffered the most with over 260, 000 acres (105,300 hectares), an official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation told Xinhua.

“Most of the country’s major rivers have reached or above their danger levels, said the Meteorology and Hydrology Department,” said a report.

Floods and landslides triggered by extreme rain events since June have impacted large portions of the country, destroying homes, businesses, and farms as well as much of the public infrastructure.

Hundreds of thousands of people left homeless

China
Flooring and landslides triggered by extreme rain events have severely affected more than one million people in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

“Continuous rainfall has flooded 31 counties under 11 cities, with two people missing and 53,100 evacuated as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to the regional civil affairs department,” said a report.

The extreme weather events have damaged about 38,000 hectares of crops and destroyed 2,016 houses, with direct economic losses estimated at 343 million yuan (55 million U.S. dollars), said the report.

Myanmar

Up to 30 people killed by flooding and landslides.
About 120,000 severely affected.
About 525,000 acres of paddy fields have been flooded.
Several towns and villages completely submerged by floodwater.
“In Sagaing and Mandalay regions as well as Kachin and Shan states, the floods destroyed more than 17,000 houses, affecting nearly 100,000 people,” the official China news agency reported.

Pakistan

Floods have killed dozen of people in Pakistan and left about a third of a million severely affected. Hundreds of villages have been completely inundated, with thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.

Afghanistan
“Heavy rains and flood hit Kofab district last night and besides killing six people including women and children also washed away or badly damaged more than 120 houses there,” said a government official..

Vietnam

Floods and landslides triggered by extrme rain events in northern Vietnam have left dozens of people dead, and caused severe damage to property and public infrastructure, especially in Quang Ninh province, about 120 km east of the capital Hanoi, reports said.

A Conspiracy of Neglect: Global Refugee Crisis

World leaders’ neglect of refugees condemns millions to a life of misery and thousands to death, says Amnesty in a report published today.

“We are witnessing the worst refugee crisis of our era, with millions of women, men and children struggling to survive amidst brutal wars, networks of people traffickers and governments who pursue selfish political interests instead of showing basic human compassion,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“The refugee crisis is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, but the response of the international community has been a shameful failure.”

Highlights of Amnesty Report

Worst refugee crisis since World War II.

One million refugees desperately in need of resettlement.

Four million Syrian refugees struggling to survive in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

Three million refugees in sub-Saharan Africa, and only a small fraction offered resettlement since 2013.

3,500 people drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 2014— a total of at least 1,865 so far in 2015.

300 people died in the Andaman Sea during January to March 2015 due to starvation, dehydration and abuse by boat crews.

Egyptian authorities behaving like animals

Men, women and children are being raped “to eliminate public protest,” said a report. Detainees are routinely subject to virginity tests, rape and gang rape after arrest.

“The study notes a surge in sexual violence after the Egyptian military takeover in July 2013.”

Time running out for thousands in distress at sea: UNHCR

Time is running out for thousands of people in distress at sea, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday warned, urging governments in the Southeast Asia region to urgently rescue the vulnerable people.

“We estimate that nearly 4,000 people from Myanmar and Bangladesh remain stranded at sea with dwindling supplies on board. This includes some 2,000 men, women and children stranded on at least five boats near the Myanmar-Bangladesh coasts for more than 40 days. Unconfirmed reports suggest the number could be higher,” UNHCR spokesman told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.

Chadians Fleeing Boko Haram

An estimated 32,000 Chadians and other internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled Boko Haram attacks and crossed the border from Nigeria into Chad’s Lac Chad region since the beginning of January 2015, said IOM.

Islamic State terrorists take control of Ramadi, Iraq

Islamic State terrorists have taken control of Ramadi. At least 500 have been killed and 42,840 people fled fighting in the city over 16–17 May, adding to the 180,000 already displaced in Anbar since early April. Access to new IDPs in Habbaniyah, Khadiyah district, is limited due to insecurity, and health concerns are growing, reported Acaps.

Sudan: Fighting between Southern Reizeigat and Maaliya tribes in Abu Karinka, East Darfur, has reportedly displaced up to 24,000 households – 168,000 people. Those who remain have been cut off from water, food, and fuel aid. Measles cases have climbed to 4,127 so far this year, with West Darfur the worst-affected state. http://geo.acaps.org

Burundi: Displacement has increased sharply with the worsening political crisis. 105,000 people are seeking asylum in neighbouring countries, including 78,000 in Tanzania, where living conditions are worsening rapidly. Political protests continue in Burundi, despite the President warning that protesters will be considered accomplices of perpetrators of the attempted coup. http://geo.acaps.org

Pavlof continues to erupt amid near continuous seismicity

Lava is fountaining at Pavlof summit, as the volcano continues to erupt, spewing continuous ash, steam, and gas cloudd to an altitude of about 20,000 ft above sea level, AVO reported.

This morning the cloud was carried to the southeast. Satellite images show persistent elevated surface temperatures at the summit and on the northwest flank, commensurate with the summit lava fountaining and resulting lava flow.

Seismic activity remains elevated with nearly continuous tremor recorded on the seismic network.

Pavlof Volcano erupting on May 16, 2013. Photo taken from about 6,000 ft, at 10:20 am, by pilot Theo Chesley. This view is looking at the north side of Pavlof; the peak in the foreground is Pavlof Sister. Image courtesy of the photographer via AVO.

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Cyclone MAHASEN Damaged or Destroyed Thousands of Homes in Bangladesh

At least a million people had been forced to flee low-lying coastal areas as the cyclone approached. However, the storm weakened rapidly prior to landing.

Nevertheless, it damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, mostly mud houses, and left dozens of people dead, including more than two dozen from Myanmar.

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“Monster” Tornado Left 13 Dead or Missing, Destroyed Scores of Homes

The deadly tornado struck a subdivision of Rancho Brazos, near the town of Granbury in Hood County, N Texas with winds of up to 200 miles per hour, and was rated EF4 by the National Weather Service (NWS).

“This tornado was a monster,” said Hood County Commissioner. “It’s just devastating.”

The tornado left at least 13 people dead or missing, with about 50 others injured, destroyed more than 120 homes, and displaced over 250 residents.

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Iraq Violence: 100 Killed, Hundreds more Wounded in 3 Days

At least 47 people were killed and many dozens wounded in two explosions in Baquba, a city located about 50 km north of Baghdad, and Madain located further south, reports quoting local police said.

Since Wednesday May 15 about 100 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded in bombing campaigns across Iraq.

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S China Storms Affect 2 million people, Dozens Dead or Missing

“Ten provincial localities in south China have been affected by the fresh round of storms and flooding that began on Tuesday, including Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Sichuan,” said a report.

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 17, 2013—SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,030 Days Left

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,030 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History

Indian Ocean’s first cyclone of the season, MAHASEN promises to bring heavy rains and high winds to the region.

The storm was heading northwestwards, about 1,000km away from India’s eastern coast, as of posting. However, the cyclone could change trajectory moving towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast in the next 36 hours, said IMD.

At least 1.7 million people in Myanmar are stateless or internally displaced

At least 83,000 people, mostly women and children, have recently fled their homes as fighting intensifies in Kachin state, Myanmar.

The Burmese military forces have launched a new offensive against ethnic Kachin troops, Kachin Independence Army, (KIA) near the border town of Laiza, said a UN report.

Clashes between Myanmar troops and ethnic Kachin and Shan armed groups resumed in June 2011 and have since forced more than 83,000 people, mostly women and children, to flee their homes, funneling into some 45 camps and settlements.

Lack of access to clean water in cramp unsanitary camping conditions has resulted in deaths.

About 3 percent of Myanmar’s 60 million population of are stateless, including at least 800,000 residents in Rakhine State.

“Rakhine State has seen two convulsions of large-scale inter-communal violence, in June and October of 2012, which have resulted in the displacement of mo

re than 110,000 persons, including large numbers of stateless persons.” UNHCR said.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – April 6, 2013—SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,071 Days Left

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,071 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human History

[October 29, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,230 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

SANDY’s storm surge could be “life-threatening”: NHC

National Hurricane Center (NHC) has described the storm surge threat from Hurricane SANDY as “life-threatening,” ranking the surge and wave “destruction potential” for the hurricane alone, not including the combined force of the hybrid storm, which it could eventually become, at 5.8 on a scale of 0 to 6.

SANDY could be the largest storm ever to hit the United States, said NHC.

The massive storm could affect tens of millions of people hundreds of miles along the Atlantic Coast.

Some coastal parts of New York and New Jersey could experience surge and waves of up to 11 feet, judging by Hurricane SANDY’s size, said NHC.

New York Mayor has ordered the evacuation of more than 375,000 people in low-lying areas.

Some 50,000 people in Delaware and 30,000 in Atlantic City, N.J. have also been evacuated.

At least 5,000 flights have been cancelled.

Flooding caused by the storm surge is expected to be particularly severe because the storm’s arrival coincides with a full moon, which causes higher tides.

Up to 284,000 residential properties valued at $88 billion could sustain damage from storm-surge flooding, according to risk analysts CoreLogic, Reuters reported.

The massive storm has already claimed at least 66 lives in the Caribbean.

The Disaster President has declared States of Emergency for New York and Massachusetts.

States of emergency have also been declared by the governors in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Hurricane SANDY – IR Sat Image (NHC Enhancement). SANDY was centered about 420 miles south of New York City, at 00:01UTC on Monday moving NE, parallel to the Atlantic coast, at about 15 mph. Image source: CIMSS.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Myanmar

“The UN has reported that over 22,000 people were displaced in a week of renewed sectarian fighting between Buddhists and Muslims living on Myanmar’s west coast. The total number of displaced since violence erupted in June is now around 100,000 [with at least 200 dead or injured, and more than 3,000 homes destroyed,]” said a report.

NW Pacific: TYPHOON SON-TINH

“More than 80,000 people in south China’s Hainan Province have been relocated following the arrival of Typhoon Son-Tinh, which has brought gales and downpours to the region since Saturday,” said a report.

TC Bijli dumped as much as 50 mm of rain per hour in parts of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar

Tropical Cyclone Bijli came ashore over eastern Bangladesh on April 17, 2009. The storm caused little damage, according to news reports, but did dump as much as 50 millimeters of rain per hour in the regions where rainfall was heaviest, shown in red, on Bangladesh and neighboring Myanmar. This image, made with data captured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite on April 17, shows the rainfall associated with the storm. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC). Caption by Holli Riebeek [Edited for brevity by Moderator.]

Tropical Storm Bijli draped the east coast of India in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on April 16, 2009. Bijli became a tropical storm in the northwest Bay of Bengal on April 15. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid [sic] Response team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey. [Edited for brevity by Moderator.]

Do You Feel Lucky in 2008?

Ukraine: Worst floods in 100 years

Floods caused by 5 days of nonstop rain kill up to 20 people, mostly children. A senior government official described the floods as the worst in 100 years. More than 20,000 homes have been flooded and 7,000 people evacuated.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko (3rd L) visits a settlement affected by floods in the Ivano-Frankivsk region July 27, 2008. Floods described by a senior government official as the worst in a century have killed 13 people in western Ukraine and four in neighboring Romania, officials said on Sunday. REUTERS/Mykhailo Markiv/pool

President Viktor Yushchenko flew to the worst affected area in the Ivano-Frankivsk region after leaving early a service in Kiev marking the 1,020th anniversary of the adoption of Orthodox Christianity in the region. Reuters reported.

Romania

Up to 10,000 people from 200 villages were evacuated as 2,500 houses and 25,000 hectares of farmland were flooded. At least 4 people were killed, including a child who drowned.

“We have two critical situations, on the rivers Siret and Prut,” Romanian Prime Minister said.

“So you understand the gravity of the situation, water levels on the river Prut next to the borders with Ukraine and Moldova are higher than on the Danube.”

New Zealand: Worst weather in 50 years.

g at least three dead and as many as 100,000 homes without electricity. About 10,000 tourists were stranded. [In 2008, New Zealand has thus far experienced the worst deforestation rates,worst snow storms, worst floods, worst drought and worst storms in 50 years.]

South Korea: Worst Floods in 50 Years

Up to 20 people were killed or reported as missing as the fourth day of torrential rains lashed parts of South Korea . In the worst-hit areas of North Gyeongsang province, up to 250 mm of rain
in a 24-hour period caused landslides and flooding forcing people to evacuate their homes.

Kenya

Cholera outbreak has affected eight districts in Nyanza and Western provinces. Over 80% of cholera transmission has been attributed to lack of access to safe drinking/domestic water. About 75% of the water sources are contaminated.

Myanmar

Some three months after Cyclone Nargis struck the country inflicting immense damage, as many as 700,000 children are still in need of assistance. The cyclone destroyed or damaged about 750,000 homes, affected about 2.4 million people and destroyed three quarters of the local health facilities. “In addition, the cyclone struck a severe blow to people’s livelihoods by flooding 600,000 hectares of agricultural land, killing up to 50 per cent of livestock in the affected areas, and destroying fishing boats, food stocks and agricultural implements. According to the report, the damages and losses amount to $4 billion.” UNICEF reported.

Taiwan

Typhoon Fung-Wong with winds up to 147km/h (92 mph) struck the east coast of Taiwan today with heavy rains, forcing schools and businesses to close. In July 18, tropical storm Kalmaegi struck southern Taiwan, which left 20 people killed and 6 missing. “A Central Weather Bureau forecaster was quoted as saying the total rainfall may reach 900mm (35 inches).” BBC reported.

Nargis Cyclone, Myanmar

Torrential tropical rain lashed Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta worsening the misery of an estimated 2.5 million survivors of Cyclone Nargis and further hampering the military government’s aid efforts, Reuters reported.

Monks stand beside a partially damaged Buddha statue in a storm devastated village near Kyacek tan, Myanmar, May 14, 2008, presumably wondering what if the statue was completely destroyed! (REUTERS/Stringer) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

The official toll for the dead and missing now stands at more than 133,000, but other estimates are reported the figure as high as 200,000. About 2.5 million people in the Irrawaddy delta have been severly affected and are struggling for survival. Some cases of cholera have been found in the Irawaddy delta, however, the numbers are in line with normal levels recorded in previous years. More Photos …

China Quake

The earthquake in southwestern China has so far claimed about 30,000 lives. Another strong aftershock measuring 5.7 in magnitude (the 75th in the cluster since the 7.9Mw mainshock 6 days ago) struck about 80km WSW of Guangyuan, Sichuan, China early Sunday morning local time forcing thousands of the survivors to flee the Beichuan area amid fears a local lake could burst its banks.

Soldiers, relief workers and residents flee to higher ground in Beichuan, Sichuan province May 17, 2008 amid fears a local lake could burst its bank after the 75th strong aftershock struck the area. (REUTERS/Stringer) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

The authorities expect the final death toll from the earthquake to exceed 50,000. About 4.8 million people have lost their homes. A reported 500,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. More photos . . .

Chaiten volcano

Chaiten volcano (Chile) is spewing out hot ash and smoke, as it rumbles and creates tremors. Falling ash is clogging up the local Blanco and Raya rivers forcing them to overflow their banks, flooding the area in the surrounding areas.

The city of Chaiten, about 6km from the erupting volcano, almost entirely flooded, has been declared off-limits for three months by the Chilean government.

A house flooded by river Blanco in Chaiten city May 12, 2008. (REUTERS/Stringer). Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Myanmar: Nearly 2 million struggling to survive Nargis aftermath

Thousands of the survivors of Cyclone Nargis face a bleak future, starvation and death, as they abandon what was once their villages in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta in search of water, food and medicine.

According to the U.N. humanitarian agency between 1.2 million and 1.9 million are struggling to survive eight days after the storm struck their impoverished country.

Villagers display a sign saying ‘Help Us’ on a road near Kundangon May 11, 2008. Even if they manage to find food and shelter, the 1.5 million destitute survivors of Myanmar’s Cyclone Nargis still face a major risk from infected wounds, chronic diarrhoea and malaria or dengue. (REUTERS/Stringer. Caption: Reuters) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice.

The death toll could range from 63,290 to 101,682, with 220,000 people reported as missing, the report said, while “acute environmental issues” threaten the health and lives of the survivors. (Source)

Update #3: Nargis Death Toll May Top 100,000

A U.S. diplomat in Myanmar said the death toll in cyclone Nargis may exceed 100,000. Shari Villarosa, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Yangon, said figure was based on data from an international non-governmental organization.

“The information we are receiving indicates over 100,000 deaths,” she said, “I think most of the damage was caused by these 12-foot storm surges.”

According to the Myanmar state radio, the death toll was 22,980 with 42,119 missing and 1,383 injured by Wednesday night.

Dead bodies from Cyclone Nargis float on a flooded field in Labutta (Source: AFP) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice.

Nargis is Asia’s second most devastating cyclone in terms of loss of human lives. In 1991 a storm in Bangladesh killed 143,000.

Update #2: Nargis Death Toll Raised to 22,500, 41,000 people missing

Myanmar’s military government raised its death toll from the deadly Cyclone Nargis to about 22,464 people, with an additional 41,000 people missing, government-run radio said.

Cyclone Nargis ripped through Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, early Saturday, destroyed a dozen or so villages along its path and made about a million people homeless.

To enlarge, right click on the image and click on View Image.
Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Flooded villages are seen in this aerial view near an airport in Yangon on May 5, 2008, after Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar’s main city on Saturday, ripping off roofs, felling trees and raising fears of major casualties. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer; Caption: Reuters) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Update #1: Deadly Nargis Cyclone

“The confirmed number is 3,934 dead, 41 injured and 2,879 missing within the Yangon and Irrawaddy divisions,” Myanmar TV reported.

“The death toll only covers two of the five disaster zones where U.N. officials said hundreds of thousands of people were without shelter and drinking water in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.” (Source)

Powerful tropical cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar

The powerful tropical cyclone Nargis has killed at least 351 people in Myanmar (Burma) and damaged thousands of buildings. The death toll is expected to rise further.

In this photo released by Democratic Voice of Burma, damaged satellite dishes are seen on the roof of a residential building, and tree branches broken after tropical cyclone Nargis hit Yangon, Myanmar, on Friday May 2, 2008. A Myanmar official says that a tropical cyclone packing winds of 190 kilometers per hour (120 miles) caused heavy damage in Yangon, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity in much of the country’s commercial capital. (Caption AP. Photo: Democratic voice of Burma)

Villages in the Irrawaddy delta have been flattened by 190km-per-hour wind, rain and storm surge. Forecasters said the tide would rise by as much as 4 meters above the normal levels. In Irrawaddy’s Labutta township about 20,000 homes have been destroyed and 90,000 people made homeless on the island alone, a government official said.

The government has declared five states as disaster zones. Much of the former capital Yangon (Rangoon) is without power or water. All flight from Yangon’s international airport have been canceled.

A Yangon resident was reported as saying: “Everything was wrecked. Roofs of the houses and satellite dishes were blown away.” A foreign diplomat called the city an “utter war zone”.

Less than a day after cyclone Nargis struck the area, price of food items such as meat, eggs, milk and vegetables was more than doubled.